Inhaler and respirator



(No Model.) A P. WILLIAMS.

INHALBR AND RESPIRATOR.

No. 432,780. Patented July 22,1890;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT F. WVILLIAMS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

INHALER AND RESPIRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,780, dated July 22, 1890.

Application filed May 2, 1890- Serial No. 350,274. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT F. WILLIAMS, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods and Apparatus for the Production and Administration of Medicated Air, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a new method of preparing and administering air saturated with the vapor of a medicament, and in apparatus in which said method is carried into practical effect.

My method consists in first drying the air and removingwisible impurities, then subjecting it to atemperature capable of destroying germ-life, and then mingling said air in a closed chamber with the vapor arising from a medicament.

My apparatus includes the necessary devices carrying out these successive steps and for enabling the user properly to inhale and exhale the medicated atmosphere;

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view or elevation of my apparatus,

showing the air-heater and vaporizing devices in section on the lineXXof Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a view showing the open mouth-tube anda sliding ring upon the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing a detail view of the valve and the mouth-tube.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A is a base or platform having a vertical wall B, in which the various parts of the apparatus are secured by straps O or other suit able means.

E and F are two U- shaped drying-tubes, in one of which I place anhydrous chloride of lime or phosphoric acid, together with absorbent cotton. In the other tube I place sticks of caustic potash or soda, also packed with similar cotton. The chloride of lime is preferably placed in the tube E and the canstic potash in the tube F. The tubesE andF are sealed above and communicate with each other by a tube G. The tube E also communicates by a tube H with the atmosphere and the tube F by a tube I with the interior of an air-heating drum J. This drum is provided with a vertical central partition K, and is set in a holder L, in which is placed the heating-lamp M. Openings N O are made in the holder for entrance and escape of air. The heating-drum J communicates by a tube Pwith the interiorof the vaporizingchamber Q. This chamber Q ,is supported in a casing R, in which is placed a lamp S. Proceeding from the chamber Q is anothertube T, which communicates with a mouth-piece U. In an enlargement of the tube T at V is arranged a valve \V, the said valve opening only upward, as shownin Fig. 4. In the mouth-piece of the tube U there is an elliptical opening a, which may be closed by the sliding ring I). In the edge of the sliding ring I) is a circular notch c, which comes over the opening a, so that as the ring is slid along the size of the opening is gradually increased or diminished.

The apparatus operates in the following manner: The pipe H communicates with the open air, preferably by leading through the window sash or casing of the room in which the apparatus is used. The air passes through the drying-tube E, pipe G, and then through the second drying-tube F, and thus becomes thoroughly deprived of its moisture and of floating foreign matter and visible impurities. It thenis let through the heater J passing down under the partition K, where it is warmed to a degree sufficient to destroy any germs or other minute organisms which may be present and also expanded. Thence it passes through the pipe P into the vaporizing chamber Q. In the bottom of this chamber is placed the medicine to be vaporized by the heat of the lamp S. The end of pipe Pis carried down near to the bottom of the chamber and terminates above the medicine, so that the incoming air is dispersed over the surface of the latter and then becomes intimately mingled in the chamber Q with the vapor arising from said medicine before it escapes by the pipe T. The air thus receives back not only the moisture previously lost, but also an excess due to its expansion. The cleansed, dried, and medicated air then passes bythe tube Tand mouth-piece U to the lungs of the patient. The valve W' is arranged to open when. the patient inspires. On the expiratory action of the lungs the valve closes, so that breath then escapes at the opening a in the mouth-piece. Of course while the patient is drawing in air he keeps the orifice a closed, preferably by putting his finger over it.

The object of the ring 0 is to allow the size of the aperture a to be diminished at will, so as to retard the expiratory escape of air, thus causing the inhaled saturated atmosphere to impinge against the mucous surfaces.

By continuous respiration in this manner little, if any, condensation takes place in the breath in g-tube; hence an approximate dosage of the agent used is obtained. The presence of the lamp S under the vaporizing-chamber is not always necessary, as the heat of the incoming air-current is with any of the volatile agents-the terebinthinates, camphor, creosote, thymol, carbolic acid, and iodinesufficient to insure volatilization in sutficient quantity. If it be desired to sublime calomel, or to vaporize aqueous solutions, some of the essential oils, or Vaseline, &c., the vaporizinglamp should be employed. If the breathing be continuously kept up,'even excessive heat will not decompose the agent in the vaporizing-chamber, and hence Vaseline, paraffine solution, and even glycerine, will go over in such quantity that the excess will recondense into a thick fog. v

I have shown here but two drying-tubes E and F; but it will be understood, of course,

that these may be multiplied and connected in series to any extent, in order to insure increased dryness of. the air. When the drying-tubes are multiplied, and also when the strength of the patient may be so reduced as to make it difficult for him to respire through the apparatus, I add a means of forcing air directly through the same mechanically, the said means being illustrated in Fig. 1. This consists practically in an air-pump d, which delivers air in a condenser e, from Which condenser the air passes to an elastic bag f, and thence by a tube 9 to the inlet-tube II. \Vhen it is desired thus to pump air directly into the apparatus, a valve h in tube H is closed, so as to cut off access from the external atmosphere, and a valve 2' in the tube g is opened. The valve j between the air-pump and the condenser is opened and the valve closed and the pump worked until a sufficient pressure is accumulated in the condenser g. The valve j is then closed and the valve is opened, when the air from the condenser then passes into the elastic bag f and fills the same. The

valve 70 may then be closed or left partly open, so as to allow a gradual supply of air to enter said bag. The elasticity of the bag itself is then sufficient to force the air through the apparatus and into the lungs of the patient; but it is not sufficient to overcome the gravitating action of the valve W. By suitable adjustments of the apparatus and of the pressure in the aircondenser I can thus nicely regulate the final air-pressure and assist the respiratory action of the patient.

I claim- 1. The method of preparing medicated air for curative purposes, which consists in first drying the air and filtering therefrom floating foreign matter and visible impurities; second, subjecting said air to a temperature sufcient to sterilize the same, and, third, mixing air with the vapor arising from a volatilized medicament in a closed chamber, and thereby saturating said air with said medicament, substantially as described.

2. The method of preparing medicated air for curative purposes, which consists in first drying the air and filtering therefrom fioatin g foreign matters and visible impurities; second, subjecting said air to a temperature sufficient to sterilize the same, and, third, subj eoting said air with the medicament to heat in a closed chamber and there expanding said air and volatilizing said medicament, whereby said air becomes mingled and saturated with the vapor of said medicament, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the drying-tubes E F, heater J, vaporizing-chamber Q, and conduits connecting the same with the tube T, communicating with the chamber Q and provided with the valve WV.

4. The combination of the drying-tubes E I heater J, vaporizing-chamber Q, and conduits connecting the same with the tube T, communicating with the chamber Q andprovided with the Valve IV and variable opening a.

5. The combination of the drying-tubes E F, heater J, vaporizing-chamber Q, tube T, elastic air-chamber f, and connecting-conduits with a means of forcing airthrough said apparatus.

6. The combination, with the drying-tubes E F, heater J, vaporizing-chamber Q, conduits connecting the same and tube T with an airpump 61, a compressioirchamber e,into which said air-pump delivers air, an elastic chamber f, interposed between said compression-chamber and said air-pump, valve j between said chamber 6 and pump d, and valve 70 between chamber 6 and chamberf.

HERBERT F. \VILLTAMS. Witnesses:

PARK BENJAMIN, M. Boson. 

